Beer cooling apparatus



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United States Patent BEER COOLING APPARATUS Edward E. Tennant, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Jos.

Schlitz Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,856

3 Claims. (Cl. 62-141) This invention relates to a beverage cooling system and apparatus and particularly has reference to apparatus for cooling or maintaining a carbonated beverage, like beer, in a properly cooled condition while transporting the same a substantial distance from the source or keg to the dispensing tap.

In prior beer cooling apparatus where air is forced from the cooling chamber to the box from which the beer is dispensed the air rises in temperature in its flow to the box and return to the refrigerating room through the shaft in which the beer line extends. The greater the distance the air travels the greater the temperature rise and the less practical the system. In those cooling systems where cooling coils have extended along with the beer line reliance has been placed on the coils and forced air is dispensed with. This type of cooling system is expensive when the dispensing line is of some length in view of the fact that it does not take full advantage of the cooling offered by the coils since there is no forced movement of air over the coils and the system has an on and off cycle.

The invention is directed to providing an improved and constant refrigerating of beer in a dispensing line by employing forced circulation of cooling air in combination with the cooling coils. By using or adding forced air to the refrigerated or cooling coil line system, the expansion valve actuating the refrigerant in the coils is more active and efiicient due to the fact that when the air is forcibly moved in the beer dispensing system a quicker and more positive action is obtained of the thermo bulb or other means which controls operation of the expansion valve or other refrigerant actuating means. This gives the system a more constant refrigeration and a better distribution of the refrigeration action throughout the system.

The principal object of the invention is to provide apparatus for maintaining beer at a substantially constant cooling temperature throughout a beer dispensing line of substantial length.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter in connection with the following description of the drawing illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

The single figure of the drawing diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus of the invention.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a beer dispensing system comprising in general a keg 1 in which the beer to be dispensed is contained, disposed in a refrigerated beer cooler room 2 and connected to the tap 3 by a beer line or pipe 4 which extends from keg 1 to tap 3 through a refrigerating shaft 5 and a dispensing or tap box 6. The shaft 5 of metal or the like is shown as cylindrical and of substantial length. Experiments have shown that the length of shaft 5 may at least be thirty-five feet and yet above average cooling of the beer constantly maintained.

In order to circulate air through the shaft from the refrigerating room 2 an air blower 7 is suitably secured within room 2 and communicates with the room and a generally cylindrical pipe or tube 8 which extends from blower 7 to within box 6. Pipe 8 is about onehalf the diameter of shaft 5 so that refrigerated air picked up by blower 7 from room 2 is forced through pipe 8 in an inner passage around line 4 to the inside of box 6 and returns to room 2 in the outer passage between pipe 8 and shaft 5.

In addition, cooling coils 9 encircle the beer line 4 and extend within inner pipe 8 from within the cooling room 2 and within box 6 substantially to the location where the beer line leaves the box 6 and is connected to tap 3. The beer line may extend at an angle with respect to the pipe 8 and is confined with coils 9 for a substantial distance within room 2 by the pipe extension 10 secured to pipe 8.

The returning coil 11 from line 9 also extends within pipe 8 and at the end of extension 10 is reversely bent to provide an additional coil 12 which is located on the outside of pipe 8. This line extends to within box 6 and communicates with the coil 13 which returns through shaft 5 adjacent the inner surface of the shaft to the inner end of the shaft just inside room 2.

Coil 13 then projects across the inner end of shaft 5 and reversely bends to communicate with coil 14 which extends on the opposite side of pipe 8 from coil 12 to the cooling box 6. Coil 14 in turn is formed with a reverse bend in box 6 and communicates with coil 15 which returns within shaft 5 opposite the longitudinal extent of coil 13. A short coil 16 connects coil 15 to the compressor 17 which is located outside of cooling room 6.

On the other side of compressor 17 a coil 18 extends therefrom into one side of box 6 and joins a coil 19 which extends through pipe 8 back to room 6 and is reversely bent at the inner end to communicate with the starting coil 9 to provide a completely closed refrigerating system. Although a particular closed cooling coil system has been described for purposes of illustration it is contemplated that the coils may be distributed in the system in a different manner than that described.

In order to actuate the refrigerant in the cooling coils a thermo bulb 20 is secured to the coils. It is preferable to locate bulb 20 in shaft 5 removed from cooling room 2. As shown in the drawings bulb 20 is connected to coil 15 adjacent box 6 and to an expansion valve 21 by conduit 22. As the temperature in the shaft rises to the predetermined temperature at which the gas in bulb 20 expands in conduit 22, valve 21 is opened. This causes the refrigerant in the coils to expand and circulate within the coils.

The circulation or expansion of the refrigerant in the coils actuates the compressor 17 which then operates to compress the refrigerant. Compression of the refrigerant lowers its temperature. When the temperature within shaft 5 is brought to the temperature at which the gas in bulb 20 and conduit 22 contracts, valve 21 closes to stop the compressor and circulation of the refrigerant in the coils.

Other means than that described which is responsive to the temperature in shaft 5 for actuating the compressor to lower the temperature of the refrigerant may be employed.

The blower 7 is actuated by a switch in an electrical circuit, not shown, and when the beer line 4 is active it is preferable that the blower operate continually although it may be operated intermittently such as by thermostatic means in shaft 5. By employing the blower 7 with the refrigerating coils the forced air flowing through shaft 5 absorbs the moisture therein on the off cycle of the refrigerating unit to thus act as an automatic defroster and thereby make the system more efficient.

It is also desirable that an insulating wrapping, not shown, be placed on the exterior of shaft 5 to increase the efiiciency of the system.

The forced air and refrigerating unit of the invention insures that the temperature of the beer will remain cool and substantially constant in its travel through the beer line from the keg to the tap.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the following claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter regarded as the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a beverage cooling system having a tap secured to a closed tap box and connected to a source of beverage in a refrigeration room remote from the tap by a beverage dispensing line extending through a shaft connecting the box and room, the combination which comprises rcfrigerating coils having a coolant therein and disposed to extend within said shaft from said room to the dispensing box and on either side of the beverage line, means to actuate the coolant to maintain the beverage in the line in a constant cooled condition, a passage in said shaft through which the beverage line extends, a second passage in the shaft separate from said first-named passage, and blower means provided adjacent the shaft to circulate refrigerated air through said passages in opposite directions and thereby in cooperation with the refrigerating coils effect cooling of the beverage flowing in the beverage line.

2. in a beverage cooling system having a tap secured to a closed tap box and connected to a source of beverage in a refrigeration room remote from the tap by a beverage dispensing line extending through a shaft connecting the box and room, the combination which comprises refrigerating coils having a coolant therein and disposed to extend within said shaft from said room to the tap box and on either side of the beverage line, means to actuate the coolant to maintain the beverage in the line in a constant cooled condition, a tube extending within the shaft from the box to the refrigeration room and removed from the beverage line and the Wall of the shaft to provide an inner passage and an outer passage in the shaft within which passages the cooling coils are disposed, and blower means connected to said tube within the refrigeration room to force refrigerated air from the room through the inner passage over said coils and beverage line and return refrigerated air through the outer passage over another group of coils to said refrigerating room to thereby cooperate with the coils to effect constant cooling of the beverage in the dispensing line.

3. In a beverage cooling system having a tap secured to a closed tap box and connected to a source of beverage in a refrigeration room remote from the tap by a beverage dispensing line extending through a shaft connecting the box and room, the combination which comprises a pipe extending centrally within said shaft from the refrigerating room to the tap box and removed from the beverage line and the wall of the shaft to provide an inner passage around the beverage line and an outer passage between the pipe and shaft, refrigerating coils extending in the inner passage from the refrigerating room to the tap box around said coils and then extending from the room to the box within the outer passage, said coils having a coolant therein adapted to contract and expand under service conditions to maintain the coils at a predetermined temperature, thermostatic means disposed in the shaft and connected to the coils in the outer passage to respond to substantially the warmest portion of said coolant, an expansion valve connected to the thermostatic means and to the coils to control the expansion of coolant in the coils, a compressor connected to the coils and actuated by the operation of the expansion valve to maintain the coolant within the temperature range desired, and a blower connected to saidpipe within the refrigeration roomto force refrigerated air from the room through the inner passage and return refrigerated air through the outer passage to said refrigerating room to thereby cooperate with the coils to effect constant cooling of the beverage in the dispensing line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

